As expected, she agreed.
A bright chime sounded in his head—Option 3 cleared.
He didn't check the rewards right away. He thanked her seriously, chatted a bit, and, at her "I'll look into it; don't let me keep you," he saw her out.
She left without touching the margarita again.
…
By then it was getting late. morke filled up without him noticing, and he got busy again.
He left the rewards for later, until after one—
The owner returned and took over. Kai finally had a moment.
He changed back into his Jōsei uniform in the storeroom, said goodbye, and stepped into the night.
Spring nights were chilly. The wind even felt cold.
But he hardly noticed.
He took the chance, walking home, to tally his rewards.
His bank balance really had a fresh ¥100,000—and in his pocket, a card loaded with ¥2.5 million, restricted to tuition.
Feeling the sudden weight in his pocket, he could've cried.
Worth it. The days of dirt-cheap bentos had an end in sight!
His mood soared; his steps felt lighter.
On toward the "slums" of Shibuya, he planned what to do next.
He still had 100 points. He'd exchange them for a complete score + lyrics.
He'd build an online presence with "original" songs plus Master-level Guitar, and then monetize.
It wasn't glorious plagiarism—but in this world there was no "Kenshi Yonezu" or "YOASOBI." In a way, he was laying bricks for a parallel music industry.
He spent thirty seconds comforting himself and thirty seconds feeling guilty, then set "inglorious" aside for now.
He'd need to sing and play to get noticed; sheet music alone wasn't enough.
Without a guitar, plans were just plans.
So—painful as it was—he decided to spend some of the cash reward on a decent, not too cheap guitar.
He'd probably have to take tomorrow off his jobs—but that would also free time to find a wild Bocchi at a nearby park…
He drifted through idle thoughts, reached his apartment, and went in.
After a quick shower to be in top shape for class, he collapsed into bed.
…
Next day.
Alarm at seven. Groggy wash-up in his tiny space. Once alert, he messaged both his convenience store boss and bar owner requesting a day off.
They agreed. He headed out.
He skipped breakfast to save money. After morning classes, he bought a yakisoba-pan for lunch.
Classes ran until three. When the club bell rang, his day on campus ended.
With work permission on file, he could skip clubs and go straight home—or to his jobs.
But he'd taken the day off, so he didn't head to work as usual.
He searched for well-reviewed music shops nearby and picked a destination.
Two train stops, a kilometer on foot.
In about half an hour, he arrived at SoundColor, a music store at the Shibuya Scramble.
The Scramble was wildly bustling; a shop here had to look the part—
He pushed the door open and glanced around with mild curiosity.
The store wasn't large, but the interior was deliberate: neat layout, tasteful decor, cool palette, and high-end violin music playing.
He wasn't much for decor, so he focused on instruments.
A clerk came over. "Hello—what can I help you find?"
Kai considered.
He had Master-level Guitar Performance, but beyond playing, he knew nothing—models, materials, fit…
Which made the question tricky.
After a few seconds he offered a single word: "Guitar."
The clerk blinked.
She waited for him to continue—and when he didn't, the corner of her mouth twitched.
"Then… any specifics? Like something beginner-friendly? Or a budget…?"
He frowned slightly and thought.
He was about to say about ¥60,000, when a voice cut in.
"Ah…"
Cool and lazy, with a hint of freshness; the words sounded surprised, yet oddly flat—
"You're that guitar ace Nijika tricked into helping for free."
-------
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